Franklin Templeton flags off Kanyakumari to Kashmir investor drive

MUMBAI: Franklin Templeton India on Tuesday launched Change the Soch – Kanyakumari to Kashmir Drive, a nationwide investor awareness campaign aimed at boosting financial literacy, with a sharp focus on women. Marking the fund house’s 30 years in India, the 30-day initiative will span more than 4,000 km, covering 21 cities from Kanyakumari to Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, through a series of on-ground education sessions and community engagements designed to demystify mutual fund investing. 

The drive will be led by Franklin Templeton India president Avinash Satwalekar, who will travel across towns and villages, stopping every alternate day to conduct investor workshops for women from diverse backgrounds. The programme will engage participants ranging from farmers and self-help groups to students, teachers, entrepreneurs, salaried professionals and defence personnel, with an emphasis on progressing from savings to long-term investments.

Speaking at the launch, Satwalekar said financial literacy among women remains uneven, particularly in tier 2 and tier 3 regions. He noted that empowering women with financial knowledge can strengthen household resilience, enable community-level growth and support India’s broader push towards inclusive development. The initiative, he added, aligns with the country’s ambition of achieving Viksit Bharat status by 2047 by expanding access to financial tools and confidence at the grassroots.